Is there a free Willow Voice alternative?.
Yes. Recitey is the free, fully local Willow Voice alternative for Windows and macOS.
Willow Voice caps its free tier at 2,000 words per week and transcribes in the cloud. Recitey runs the model on your own machine, so the free tier has no word cap and your audio stays on the device. Same motion, hotkey, speak, cleaned text at your cursor, without the weekly meter or a subscription.
Why people look for a Willow Voice alternative
The free tier caps at 2,000 words per week, which a heavy writing day passes quickly. Past that you are on a paid plan. And like most of the field, Willow transcribes in the cloud, so your audio is uploaded to be turned into text.
There is also a pricing gap most people miss: Willow's Team tier starts at a 3-seat minimum, so one person who wants to bring a single colleague has no clean option. Recitey has no minimum on anything and a free tier that does not meter you, so the small buyer has a straightforward answer.
Recitey vs Willow Voice, at a glance
What you get with Recitey
Recitey is a free voice dictation tool for Windows and macOS. Here is what you get when you switch from Willow Voice:
- The free tier is uncapped, because it runs on your machine. Speech-to-text (whisper.cpp) and the cleanup pass both run on your own hardware on the free tier. Nothing is metered, so there is no weekly word cap to hit and no upgrade prompt when you write a lot.
- Your audio stays on the device on the free tier. On the free tier your speech becomes text on your own machine and is not uploaded. An optional Pro setting can route transcription to the cloud for slower hardware, but it is off by default and clearly labeled.
- You get the cleaned message, not a raw transcript. Filler words come out, punctuation and formatting go in, your custom terms are spelled right, and the tone fits the window you are writing in. What lands at your cursor is the version you meant to send.
- No account and no subscription to start. Download it, set a hotkey, and dictate into any app. Free is a complete tool, not a trial. Pro adds tone modes, voice learning, command mode, and multi-device sync.
How to switch from Willow Voice
- Install Recitey. Download from recitey.com for Windows 10/11 or macOS (Apple Silicon). No account, no card. The first run sets up the local model for you.
- Pick your hotkey. Choose the key you press to start and stop dictation. The onboarding walks you through it and lets you test it in a mock Gmail and Slack window.
- Dictate into any app. Put your cursor anywhere, hold the hotkey, speak, and the cleaned text appears. Add names and terms to your dictionary as you go so they stay correct.
When Willow Voice is still the better pick
If you want one personalization that follows you across a Mac, an iPhone, and a Windows PC, Willow's Smart Memory syncs across devices and Recitey's learned voice profile lives on each machine without syncing. If you write across a phone and a desktop all day, Willow covers what Recitey does not.
If you are a team of three or more that wants shared dictionaries and an admin dashboard today, Willow's Team tier ships that now. Recitey is validating team demand and does not have those controls yet.
There is a longer, even-handed head-to-head if you want the full picture, including the single-buyer and small-team pricing gap in detail.
Common questions
Is there a free alternative to Willow Voice?
Yes. Recitey is a free voice dictation app for Windows and macOS (Apple Silicon) with no weekly word cap. Willow Voice's free tier caps at 2,000 words per week and runs in the cloud. Recitey's free tier runs the model on your own machine, so it stays uncapped.
Does Recitey keep my audio on my device like a local Willow alternative?
On the free tier, yes. Recitey transcribes on your own machine, so your audio is not uploaded. Willow Voice transcribes in the cloud. Recitey only uses the cloud if you opt in to the Pro speed setting, which is off by default.
Can I use Recitey for just one or two people without a team plan?
Yes. Recitey has no seat minimum. Willow's Team tier starts at a 3-seat minimum, which leaves a single buyer or a pair without a clean option. With Recitey, one license is fine, and more can go on one invoice if you ask.
Is Recitey open source?
No. Recitey is free to use and runs locally on the free tier, but the code is not public. Free means no subscription and no account; local means your speech is processed on your own machine.
Try Recitey free
Recitey Free is uncapped and runs locally. No account, no card, no seat minimum. Windows 10/11 or macOS (Apple Silicon).